[TheBrom]

Think it highlights the need for another striker. Just to give Rondon a rest every so often, or to mix it up a bit when it's not working. Agree he should have finished the early chance, and was very wasteful with his shooting. It doesn't appear to be his string point at all, and he seems to snatch at shots or try to put too much power on them frequently.

I thought his heading was his strong point, but missed two decent opportunities with his head. I know we say all good strikers miss chances, but we don't usually make a lot every game, so we can't really afford to have him missing them when they do come.

He was having one of his games yesterday where nothing seemed to stick to him, and felt he was outmuscled (albeit sometimes unfairly) by their centre back. To be fair though the championship is a lot more about big physical defenders, so can see how the Derby centre backs found it relatively easy to cope with Rondon's style of play.

Hopefully he'll want to prove himself again next match and pop up with a goal or two. Maybe if we start being linked with strikers it'll prompt him that his place isn't guaranteed, and strikers are usually judged on goals and their ability to finish chances.

Scapegoat season is upon us at I see

And why does any form of criticism towards any of our players have to be met with scapegoat comments? He had a poor game yesterday and didn't score again.

[wba13]

Gardner not playing they have to find some scapegoat  only a few weeks ago he scored a hatrick. That little pooh Berahino should be the only scapegoat as he disregard`s the club on every social media going Were having a decent season Saturday was a blip so lets get behind them for yhe rest of the season BOING BOING

[glosterbaggie]

Think it highlights the need for another striker. Just to give Rondon a rest every so often, or to mix it up a bit when it's not working. Agree he should have finished the early chance, and was very wasteful with his shooting. It doesn't appear to be his string point at all, and he seems to snatch at shots or try to put too much power on them frequently.

I thought his heading was his strong point, but missed two decent opportunities with his head. I know we say all good strikers miss chances, but we don't usually make a lot every game, so we can't really afford to have him missing them when they do come.

He was having one of his games yesterday where nothing seemed to stick to him, and felt he was outmuscled (albeit sometimes unfairly) by their centre back. To be fair though the championship is a lot more about big physical defenders, so can see how the Derby centre backs found it relatively easy to cope with Rondon's style of play.

Hopefully he'll want to prove himself again next match and pop up with a goal or two. Maybe if we start being linked with strikers it'll prompt him that his place isn't guaranteed, and strikers are usually judged on goals and their ability to finish chances.

And why does any form of criticism towards any of our players have to be met with scapegoat comments? He had a poor game yesterday and didn't score again.

In all fairness he does not have many bad games considering the expectation of him. He is the only striker we have in all but name.

[TheBrom]

Gardner not playing they have to find some scapegoat  only a few weeks ago he scored a hatrick. That little rubbish Berahino should be the only scapegoat as he disregard`s the club on every social media going Were having a decent season Saturday was a blip so lets get behind them for yhe rest of the season BOING BOING

I don't think it's to do with finding a scapegoat at all. He just played poorly yesterday and didn't score. That's a striker's job. He's receiving criticism and rightly so.

Don't see any posts in the Myhill thread saying that he's being made a scapegoat?

Not sure what Berahino had to do with us losing yesterday either?

[TheBrom]

In all fairness he does not have many bad games considering the expectation of him. He is the only striker we have in all but name.

There's no denying that. I'm saying he had a poor game yesterday. And he does have a few bad games also. He may be our top scorer, but he's only actually scored in 5 of our games this season. That's 15 games where he's not scored. McAuley is only 2 goals behind him also. Like I said, I've got nothing against him and think he has been decent this season, but we desperately need another striker so we are not putting all our hopes on just Rondon

[glosterbaggie]

There's no denying that. I'm saying he had a poor game yesterday. And he does have a few bad games also. He may be our top scorer, but he's only actually scored in 5 of our games this season. That's 15 games where he's not scored. McAuley is only 2 goals behind him also. Like I said, I've got nothing against him and think he has been decent this season, but we desperately need another striker so we are not putting all our hopes on just Rondon

Indeed we score with CB,s as the way Pulis starts teams off. (To keep them up) He needs support.

[kirk]

His lack of goals could be because most of the time he us isolated up front on his own. I think he does a marvellous job for the team

[TheBrom]

His lack of goals could be because most of the time he us isolated up front on his own. I think he does a marvellous job for the team

Therefore if goal scoring isn't what he's in the team for, you agree that we could do with a goal scoring striker to share the load?

Indeed we score with CB,s as the way Pulis starts teams off. (To keep them up) He needs support.

I think we've moved on from needed to worry about relegation this season. We shouldn't really be relying on centre backs for our main source of goals. Rondon is good in certain games, and does score goals, I'm saying we need another decent striker for when we need something a bit different. For example yesterday, Rondon clearly wasn't having much of an impact, and there have been a number of games like that this season.

[glosterbaggie]

Therefore if goal scoring isn't what he's in the team for, you agree that we could do with a goal scoring striker to share the load?

I think we've moved on from needed to worry about relegation this season. We shouldn't really be relying on centre backs for our main source of goals. Rondon is good in certain games, and does score goals, I'm saying we need another decent striker for when we need something a bit different. For example yesterday, Rondon clearly wasn't having much of an impact, and there have been a number of games like that this season.

Indeed.Quite a bit more investment is needed to consolidate and avoid constant embarrassment in the FA cup.

[Fritzl Palace]

I find it difficult to criticise Rondon. Yes, he has flaws, his finishing on the deck is not at the level it needs to be in the league we play in, but he has had to carry our attacking threat from open play for in excess of a year now will little support and rarely gets a rest, often he is up against three central defenders alone and still puts himself about for the team.

I feel he is still improving in areas, he is far better this season than he was last and this upward curve will continue in my opinion. However, we need to bring in another striker to relieve some of the strain on him. HRK is clearly not good enough, we all knew he wouldn't be, can only assume he was brought in through desperation, and fat boy will hopefully never play for us again so Rondon is all we have up there.

[kirk]

Therefore if goal scoring isn't what he's in the team for, you agree that we could do with a goal scoring striker to share the load

Defoe is a goal scorer but put him in our team and our tactics and he will be absolutely useless. We don't play with 2 strikers so since we will never get Costa who do you think can play in our system?

[TheBrom]

Defoe is a goal scorer but put him in our team and our tactics and he will be absolutely useless. We don't play with 2 strikers so since we will never get Costa who do you think can play in our system?

We don't know he'd be useless at all. I bet the Sunderland fans thought he'd be useless with how they used to play hoofing it up to Fletcher but he's not been. I imagine if we signed someone like that we'd work on playing it in behind defenders more. Irrelevant anyway really because I'm not saying we need Defoe, I'm saying Rondon doesn't get enough goals by himself for us to rely on him alone all season. Hence we need another striker. I don't think many will disagree with this.

[albion59]

Defoe is a goal scorer but put him in our team and our tactics and he will be absolutely useless. We don't play with 2 strikers so since we will never get Costa who do you think can play in our system?

No he wouldn't Rondon had two great chances yesterday and fluffed his lines Defoe wouldn't have missed those two chance's.

[SmethDan]

All strikers miss chances.

For instance, Defoe missed an absolute sitter against us at theirs.

[Jimmy]

Devastating with his head, probably could do with some confidence shooting with his feet.

[tuamigos]

We need another quality striker to challenge Rondon for the starting birth, to allow us to rest him sometimes, and to give the manager other options. 
Given the back up that he has I think Rondon is doing a decent job this season.
Add to the fact that we could see that the long lump up to him wasn't working but did nothing to try and vary the ball in.

[TheBrom]

We need another quality striker to challenge Rondon for the starting birth, to allow us to rest him sometimes, and to give the manager other options. 
Given the back up that he has I think Rondon is doing a decent job this season.
Add to the fact that we could see that the long lump up to him wasn't working but did nothing to try and vary the ball in.

I think that was the most frustrating thing. However Rondon does tend to have games where he can't beat the CB in the air, and like others have said we really need another option to vary it a bit when Rondon isn't working.

[SirTonyPulis]

I think that was the most frustrating thing. However Rondon does tend to have games where he can't beat the CB in the air, and like others have said we really need another option to vary it a bit when Rondon isn't working.

I think its quite rare to see Rondon beating a cb in the air. We have two very good crossers of the ball but we rarely score from those crosses in open play. The Swansea game is an exception.

[TheBrom]

I think its quite rare to see Rondon beating a cb in the air. We have two very good crossers of the ball but we rarely score from those crosses in open play. The Swansea game is an exception.

Agree, I seem to remember making this point earlier in the season that he seemed to get outmuscled quite a lot for a big guy against smaller defenders

[alex1]

His hat trick against Swansea was excellent, but they were all headers from crosses. In the same game he fluffed 2 one on ones with the keeper. He can do a fantastic job at holding the ball up for other players, but he is actually quite average at working the ball in tight spaces on the ground. i.e. creating a chance out of nothing, maybe through a quick wall pass, or dribbling past a last defender.
We badly need an extra striker to play off him. Someone in the Kevin Phillips mould.

[smethwickw]

Are people changing their minds about him now? I got slated on here the other week for saying that I don't rate him. I stick by that. He'll work his socks off and score a few tap ins but his all round game is poor. A striker should be top of our shopping list.

[tuamigos]

Are people changing their minds about him now? I got slated on here the other week for saying that I don't rate him. I stick by that. He'll work his socks off and score a few tap ins but his all round game is poor. A striker should be top of our shopping list.

Too inconsistent, maybe he's comfortable in his position as there is not a lot to threaten his place in the team.
If, as reported, an offer of £32m comes in from China in the Summer I'd be inclined to have a look around as to who we could get for that money and let him go

[botters]

I thought he would have "kicked on" after the Swansea hat trick but he hasn't. Too inconsistent and not a regular goal scorer. We need a better all round striker and much better finisher.

[WBAinDEVON]

i aint getting on his back but i would rather HRK start

[wba13]

The blame game has started there is nothing wrong with Rondon that a goal won`t put right he is the same player who had a great first half of season and anyone is entitled to there opinion but if they think HKR [ who i like ] is better than Rondon your in cloud cuckoo land.